Suspension support for electric lighting fixtures



D. J. BlLLER Aug. 10, 1948.

SUSPENSION SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURES Filed Sept. 27, 1945lM/EMroe:

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Patented Aug. 10, 1948 SUSPENSION SUPPORT FOR ELECTRIC LIGHTING FIXTURESDavid J. Biller, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Day- Brite Lighting, Inc.,St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application September 27,1945, Serial No. 618,839

2 Claims. (01. 248343) My invention relates to suspension supports forelectric lighting fixtures or the like, particularly relatively longfluorescent lighting fixtures that are suspended from a ceiling or otheroverhead support by a plurality of hangers that are spaced apartlongitudinally of the fixture. The invention has for its principalobjects to provide for quickly and easily changing the length of thesuspension support so as to vary the height of the fixture and toposition the fixture horizontally despite variations in the elevation ofthe ceiling; to provide for bringing the supports into exactly uprightor vertical position in the event that the ceiling slopes or the anchorsfor the supports are tilted, and to provide for strength and durabilityand simplicity and cheapness of construction. The invention consists inthe suspension support and the construction, combinations andarrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of the specification andwherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur,

Fig. 1 is a bottom perspective view, showing a fluorescent lightingfixture suspended from a ceiling by means of suspension supportsembodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 22in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged central vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 inFig. 2,

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view on the line 4-4 inFig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a central longitudinal sectional view of the threaded ring forsupporting the stem of the suspension support.

My suspension supporter or hanger A is particularly adapted for use insuspending an electric light fixture B from the ceiling, beam or otheroverhead support C. The fixture B shown in the drawing is a fluorescentor other relatively long sectional lighting fixture, which is suspendedfrom the ceiling C at points spaced apart along the length of thefixture by means of a plurality of the suspension supports A.

As shown in the drawing, some of the suspension supports A may besuspended from the celling C by means of standard downwardly openingoutlet boxes I embedded therein. Electric feed wires 2 for the fixture Blead to the outlet box I through a conduit 3 opening through one sidethereof. The outlet box I has a threaded central anchor stud 1 dependingfrom the top thereof; and a channel-shaped supporter hanger 5 has itstop flange 6 apertured to receive the said stud and is seated on a nut 1threaded thereon.

The horizontal bottom flange 6a of the channel-shaped support 5 isspaced below the ceiling C and the fiush outlet box I therein and isadapted to sustain the suspension support A. The suspension support Acomprises an upper tubular fitting 8, an elongated stem 9 and a sleeveill for coupling said fitting and stem together in end to end relation.The tubular fitting 8 has an enlarged externally threaded intermediateportion H, an externally threaded upper end portion l2 and a ball orhemispherically shaped lower end portion l3. The threaded upper end E2of the tubular fitting 8 extends upwardly through a vertical opening 5bprovided therefor in the horizontal bottom flange 6a of thechannel-shaped hanger 5; and a nut I4 is threaded on said upper end ofsaid fitting and bears against the upper surface of said flange andserves to clamp the upper end of the enlarged intermediate portion ll ofsaid fitting tightly against the bottom surface of said flange. Theoutlet box I and the parts closely associated therewith are allconcealed by a cup-shaped canopy l5 which is sleeved on the tubularfitting 8 and is held in abutting relation to the ceiling C by means ofa round nut 16 which is threaded on the enlarged intermediate portion llof said fitting in abutting relation to the underside of said canopy.

The upper end of the cylindrical coupling sleeve It is bent inwardly, asat H, over the ballshaped lower end l3 of the tubular fitting 8, therebyproviding a permanent ball-and-socket connection therebetween whichpermits rotary and limited swiveling movement of said sleeve relative tosaid fitting. The sleeve IE1 is threaded internally, as at Hi, from apoint located just below the ball-shaped lower end 13 of the tubularfitting 8 to a point short of the lower end of said sleeve; the stemmember 9 of the suspension support A is rigidly secured in any desiredmanner (not shown) to the fixture B and extends upwardly into the sleeve[0 and has an externally threaded supporting ring 19 fixed to its upperend that cooperates with the internal thread l8 of said sleeve, wherebysaid stem may be raised and lowered in said sleeve when the latter isrotated relative to said stem and the tubular fitting 8. Upward travelof the threaded stem supporting ring 19 in the sleeve I0 is limited bythe ball-shaped lower end I3 of the fitting 8, while the internal threadI8 of said sleeve terminates short of the lower end thereof and thuslimits the downward travel of said ring therein. As shown in thedrawing, the bore of the stem supporting ring 19 has flared upper andlower end portions 20 and the stem 9 is reduced, as at 2|, to fit saidbore and to provide a beveled annular shoulder 22 that is firmly seatedin the flared lower end of said bore by bendin the upper end of thereduced portion 21 of said stem outwardly and downwardly, as at 23,,against the flared upper end of said bore. By this arrangement the ring9 is firmly secured to the stem 9 against rotary and axial movementrelative thereto.

By the arrangement described, the tubular fitting 8 may be quickly andeasily clamped to the lower flange of the hanger suspended from the stud4 of the outlet box I, while the round nut l5- on said fitting serves torigidly clamp the canopyball-and-socket connection between the upper endof the cylindrical sleeve [9 and the lower end of the tubular fitting 8permits the hanger pipe to be located in. an upright or verticalposition in the event that the outlet box I and/or hanger 5, are mountedin the ceiling in a tilted position; and the fixture may be raised orlowered to position it horizontally and at the desired distance fromtheceiling by rotating the sleeve Ill relative to the tubular fitting 8.and stem. 9 so as to cause the threaded supporting ring 19 fixed to theupper end of said stem to travel vertically along the internal threadIf! of said sleeve and thus change the effective length of said stem.The upper end of the sleeve It is bent or swaged over the ball-shapedlower end l3 of the tubular fiting 8, thus providing a permanent swivelconnection between said sleeve andfitting; and the stem supporting ringis permanently retained within said sleeve by the portion of the fittingin the uper end thereof and by the plain unthreaded ower end thereof. Ifdesired, the stem 9 may have aseries of vertically spaced graduations 24thereon just below the lower end of the sleeve ll] so as to indicate theamount of vertical adjustment of the-said stem. As shown in the drawing,the stem 9 may be in. the form of a pipe so as to provide a conduit forthe feed wires for the fixture.

Obviously, the hereinbefore described suspension support admits ofconsiderable modification without departing from the invention and, I donot wisjhto be limited to the precise arrangement shown and described.

What I claim is:

1. A suspension support for an electric lighting fixture or the likecomprising a conventional downwardly opening overhead outlet box havingan anchor stud depending therefrom, a hanger fixed to said stud, a lowerstem member adapted to be non-rotatably secured at its lower end to saidfixture and having a threaded upper end portion, an upper member adaptedto be nonrotatably secured to said hanger and an intermediate couplingmember having a ball-andsocket connection at its upper end with thelower end of said upper member and a threaded connection with thethreaded upper end of said stem member, whereby said stem and couplingmembers are angularly adjustable relative to said hanger supported uppermember and said coupling member is rotatable relative to said uppermember and stem member to raise and lower the latter and the fixturesecured thereto relative to said ball-and-socket joint.

2. A suspension support for an electric lighting fixture or the likecomprising a conventional downwardly opening overhead outlet box havinga stud depending therefrom and an opening for electric feed wires forsaid fixture, a hanger fixed to said stud, a lower tubular stem memberadapted to be non-rotatably secured at its lower end to said fixture, anexternally threaded supporting ring fixed to said stem member adjacentto the upper end thereof, a tubular upper member adapted to benon-rotatably secured at its upper end to said hanger, a canopysupported by said upper member and concealing said box and said hanger,and a tubular intermediate coupling sleeve having a permanentball-andsocket connection at its upper end with the lower end of saidupper member and an internal thread adapted to receive and support theexternally threaded ring fixed to the upper end ofsaid stem member,whereby said stem and coupling members are angularly adjustablerelative; to said hanger supported upper member and said coupling memberis rotatable relative to said upper member and said supporting ring toraise and" lower said stem member and the fixture secured theretorelative to said ball-and-socket joint,. said hanger supported tubularupper member having a permanently open upper end' adapted to receivesaid electric feed wires which extend downwardly through said tubularupper member, said sleeve and said tubular stem to said fixture.

DAVID J. BILLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,487,891 Ryden Mar. 25, 19241,856,142 Surface etal. May 3, 1932

